Strap holder consisting of two elements

ABSTRACT

Ski-boot buckle-type fasteners comprise a strap with spacedapart holes, a closure lever that is thrown to move the strap into tightening position and a strap clasp. The clasp comprises a plate and a cage with parallel edges that embrace the plate when the clasp is closed, a hole through the plate, a plug on the underside of the cage to extend through the plate hole and a bent metal wire bail. The plate and cage are hinged together at one end for closing about a portion of the strap. The bail is moveable about a swivel axis at one end of the plate for engagement with and to be pulled by the closure lever to tighten the ski boot.

United States Patent [191 Graup STRAP HOLDER CONSISTING OF TWO ELEMENTS[76] Inventor: Josef Graup, 8260 Stein am Rhein,

Klingenweg, Switzerland Filed= l9!-.!2L 2. 1.- -W

[2]] Appl. No.: 200,389

Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 14,117, Feb. 25,1970, Pat. No.

[451 Apr. 23, 1974 2,114,355 4/1938 Ray 24/173 Primary ExaminerBobby R.Gay Assistant Examiner-Darrell Marq uette Attorney, Agent, or Fi r rnKemon Palmer & Estabrook [57] ABSTRACT Ski-boot buckle-type fastenerscomprise a strap with spaced-apart holes, a closure lever that is thrownto move the strap into tightening position and a strap clasp. The claspcomprises a plate and a cage with parallel edges that embrace the platewhen the clasp is closed, a hole through the plate, a plug on theunderside of the cage to extend through the plate hole and a bent metalwire bail. The plate and cage are hinged together at one end for closingabout a portion of the strap. The bail is moveable about a swivel axisat one end of the plate for engagement with and to be pulled by theclosure lever to tighten the ski boot.

2 Claims, 8 Drawing [Figures STRAP HOLDER CONSISTING OF TWO ELEMENTSCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division ofSer. No. 14,] I7, filed Feb. 25, I970, now US. Pat. No. 3,678,540.

This invention relates to a strap holder consisting of two elements fortighteners on ski or mountain boots, comprising a hoop engageable intonotches of a holding device.

With usual holders of this kind it is difficult to engage the strapfastened to the shoe shaft into the holder by its loose end, since thethickness and breadth of this strap vary greatly. This is not onlyinconvenient for the user if he finds it necessary to adjust the strapin length; it is also of disadvantage at the sale of buckle ski bootsand mountain boots, since female shop assistants frequently avoid tooffer shoes of this kind on account of the hand injuries and thebreakingof nails which are often connected with the adjustment of thestraps. The difficulty of engaging straps into holders is also found inthe final fabrication of boots provided with buckles, since fabricationis slowed down and costs are increased.

To eliminate these disadvantages it has been proposed to form the holderof two elements, one of which is resilient; the two elements are to befastened to each other at least on two opposite sides and are to engageinto each other releasably on at least one of these sides. With thedescribed embodiment the strap can be inserted intoone element of theopen holder and can be held in the first when the other element ishooked in. It is of disadvantage, however, that the two elements are notconnected with each other; thus one or both holder elements get readilylost if the strap holder opens involuntarily, which so often happenswhen going in for sports.

A strap holder avoiding the aforesaid disadvantages is required, inwhich the strap can be engaged or adjusted readily and rapidly, and theuser is ensured against losing one or both elements of the holder.

This is realized according to the invention in that the two elements ofthe strap holder embracing the strap end in closed condition are inswivel connection and are engageable into each other, the hoop to beengaged into the holding device being in known hinge connection with atleast one of the elements.

A common axis or two common pivot pins are preferably used forswivelling the hoop and the elements, said axis or said pivot pins beingpreferably formed by the ends of the hoop connected to each other. Theswivel end of the elements can have the form of a hinge swivelling onthe axis if a continuous axis is used.

A further preferable embodiment provides to arrange the pins serving asswivel axis on one of the two elements, said pins resting rotatably inbores of the other element. Here the hoop is arranged on an independentswivel axis.

The elements can also have the form of U-bent clips with adjoint pieces,in which rest the swivel axis or the pivot pins, the adjoint pieces ofone U-shaped clip being adjacent tothese of the other clip; in workingposition, they can be connected with each other by noses on one pieceengaging into bores of the other piece.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that the elements of thestrap holder consist of a plate to which a case is in hinge connectionwhose angular parallel edges embrace said plate; said case is providedwith plugs corresponding to bores in said plate and with notches on itsparallel edges to which correspond bores in raised lashings of theplate. An embodiment is preferable in which the elements of the strapholder consist of a plate and a case in hinge connection, said casebeing engageable into said plate by an arched front side, the angularparallel edges of said case embracing said plate, a hoop to be engagedinto said holding device beinghinged to the end of the plate facing awayfrom the swivel axis for the plate and the case, said plate beingpreferably provided with plugs corresponding to bores in said case onthe end adjacent to said swivel axis.

According to the two last mentioned embodiments the element to beengaged intothe support of the tightener consists in that a case-likeplate with bores is provided which is to be engaged into the holdingdevice, a plug of the known holding device being engageable into saidplate.

Further details of the invention are hereinafter described withreference to the accompanying drawings withoutthe invention beinglimited to them. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are oblique perspective views of a first embodiment fromthe top and from the bottom.

FIGS. 3 to 5 are oblique perspective views of a further embodiment fromthe top.

FIG. 6 illustrates a strap holder according to the invention with aholding device, a case with bores being used instead of the hoop to beengaged.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment wherein one element of the strap holdercan be swivelled like a hinge on the hoop serving as a swivel axis.FIGS. 6 and 7 are also perspective views.

FIG. 8 shows a strap holder according to the invention, arranged on aboot.

In the embodiment according toFIGS. l and 2 the strap holder consists ofelements 1 and 2, said elements commonly restingby their adjoint pieces9 and 11 on the end of the hoop 3 having the form ofa swivel axis 4 andbeing swivelled independently from each other.

The clip-like front end of the bottom element 1 is provided with teethwhich are pressed into the inserted strap end 10 and engage intoprefabricated bores of the latter, if the strap holder is closed; thusthe clipdike element 1 is embraced from outside by the top element 2 sothat the noses 21 engage into the bores 19 of the top element 2. Thehoop 3 consists, as is known, of a suitably bent steel wire whose endsare welded to each other or firmly and unreleasably connected with eachother in some other way.

In an embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2 the common swivel axis 4formed by the hoop 3 is convenient, since the costs of production arevery low.

In FIG. 3, which is similar to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and2, the hoop 3 rests independently and the elements 1 and 2 canbeswivelled about a special axis which is formed by plugs 15 on theadjoint piece 9 of the element 2, said plugs resting in bores 16 on theadjoint piece of element 1. The rest corresponds to the firstembodiment.

FIGS. 4 and show embodiments comprising a plate and a case instead ofclip-like elements, said plate corresponding to the element 1 and saidcase to the element 2. In FIG 4 a common swivel axis for all elements isprovided, said swivel axis being formed by the end of the hoop 3 like inthe first embodiment. Theend of the plate embraces said axis 4 like ahinge. When the two elements are closed, the noses 5 of the case engageinto bores 6 of raised lashings 18 of the plate, plugs 14 on the insideof the case being passed through corresponding bores in the strap endand being engaged into bores 17 of the plate, thus firmly holding thestrap ends 10. Thus the parallel edges 13 of the case embrace the platefrom outside by their lashings 18.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 5 a plate with a case is used too.Here the hoop 3 rests independently on the end of the plate opposite tothe swivel axis 4 of the elements 1, 2. Plugs 7 are provided for holdingthe strap end 10; however, said plugs are arranged on the plate and canengage into bores 19 on the case; the front side 22 of said case isarched in such manner that it embraces the support of the hoop 3 andengages into it when the two elements are pressed together. All otherparts correspond to the aforesaid embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates a strap holder with a known holding device 8, thebottom element of said strap holder having the form of a case-like platewith bores 21. A plug 23 of said holding device 8 is engageable intosaid bores 12. The rest corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 shows both elements 1 and 2 arranged in hinge connection on theswivel axis 4 of the hoop end. This arrangement can also be used in theaforesaid embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates the strap holder of the invention arranged on a boot.The single parts correspond to the aforesaid embodiments.

Further embodiments are possible within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a ski boot having buckle-type fasteners to tighten the boot uponthe foot and ankle of a wearer, a strap having a plurality ofspaced-apart holes therein, a closure lever that is thrown to move thestrap into a tightened position and a clasp for said strap, said claspcomprising a plate and a cage whose angular parallel edges embrace saidplate on closing of the clasp, a hole extending through said plate, aplug carried on the underside of said cage to extend through said holein said plate on closing of the clasp, and a bent metal wire bail, saidbail being moveable about a swivel axis upon one end of said plate forengagement with said closure lever in operation of tightening of theboot upon the wearer to put substantial tension upon said strap, saidplate and cage being hinged together on the portion of said bail thatforms the swivel axis for said bail.

2. In a ski boot having buckle-type fasteners to tighten the boot uponthe foot and ankle of the wearer, a strap having a plurality ofspaced-apart holes therein, a closure lever that is thrown to move thestrap into a tightening position and a clasp for said strap, said claspcomprising a plate and a cage whose angular parallel edges embrace saidplate on closing of the clasp, a plug carried upon one of said plate orcage extending toward the other of said plate or cage, a hole in theother of said plate or cage through which said plug will extend onclosing of the clasp, and a bent metal wire bail, said bail beingmoveable about a swivel axis upon one end of said plate for engagementwith said closure lever in operation of tightening of the boot upon thewearer to put substantial tension upon said strap, said plate and saidcage being hinged together upon the portion of said bail that forms saidswivel axis for said bail.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,805,334 Dated April 23, 1974 I Inventorfls X JOSEF GRAUP in theabove-identified patent It is certified that error appears corrected asshown below:

and that said Letters Patent are hereby [30] I Foreign ApplicationPriority Data March 3, 1969 Austrian A 2069/69 Signed and sealed this10th day of September 1974.

(SEAL) Attest:

MCCOY M. GIBSON, JR.

Attesting Officer C. MARSHALL DANN Commissioner of Patents FORM Po-105ouo-ssy I V I USCOMWDC #1 us. aovnuuun rmmua orricn mo e-au-su.

1. In a ski boot having buckle-type fasteners to tighten the boot uponthe foot and ankle of a wearer, a strap having a plurality ofspaced-apart holes therein, a closure lever that is thrown to move thestrap into a tightened position and a clasp for said strap, said claspcomprising a plate and a cage whose angular parallel edges embrace saidplate on closing of the clasp, a hole extending through said plate, aplug carried on the underside of said cage to extend through said holein said plate on closing of the clasp, and a bent metal wire bail, saidbail being moveable about a swivel axis upon one end of said plate forengagement with said closure lever in operation of tightening of theboot upon the wearer to put substantial tension upon said strap, saidplate and cage being hinged together on the portion of said bail thatforms the swivel axis for said bail.
 2. In a ski boot having buckle-typefasteners to tighten the boot upon the foot and ankle of the wearer, astrap having a plurality of spaced-apart holes therein, a closure leverthat is thrown to move the strap into a tightening position and a claspfor said strap, said clasp comprising a plate and a cage whose angularparallel edges embrace said plate on closing of the clasp, a plugcarried upon one of said plate or cage extending toward the other ofsaid plate or cage, a hole in the other of said plate or cage throughwhich said plug will extend on closing of the clasp, and a bent metalwire bail, said bail being moveable about a swivel axis upon one end ofsaid plate for engagement with said closure lever in operation oftightening of the boot upon the wearer to put substantial tension uponsaid strap, said plate and said cage being hinged together upon theportion of said bail that forms said swivel axis for said bail.